May 12, 2003

Credit Ag's Moreau looks 'Tour-ready' with stage, overall wins at Dunkirk; CSC's Michaelsen also notches stage win

DUNKIRK, France - After a hard 2002 that saw Christophe Moreau score no wins and drop out of the Tour de France, Credit Agricole's promising young Frenchman served notice that he's hitting form just in time for this year's Tour as he collected the overall title and two stage wins at the Four Days of Dunkirk that concluded this weekend.

The flashy Moreau made his presence known on stage four as he and fellow Frenchman Didier Rous (Brioches La Boulangère) broke away with 23 of the day's 180 kilometers remaining. Rous struggled to hold Moreau's wheel and could not jump as they hit the finish line. The action would quickly depose previous leader Frederic Finot who saw the two minute lead he amassed on a stage one breakaway become an insurmountable 20 minute deficit by day's end.

Moreau would catapult from 35th on the overall to first, while Rous would ascend similarly, from 29th to second, just three seconds back. While two stages would be contested on the race's final day, it was the morning time trial that would determine the overall. Given the honor of starting last as the race leader, a calm, focused Moreau hit the course and averaged a hair under 31 miles per hour over the 12.5 mile course to take the win, 25 seconds faster than Germany's Robert Bartko (Rabobank) and another second faster than Rous, who was third.

The afternoon's flat, fast road stage was one for the sprinters and spectators that saw Jean-Patrick Nazon (Jean Delatour) take the win but made no change on the general classification. The final leaderboard read Moreau in first, Rous second and Laurent Bouchard (Ag2r-Prevoyance) in third.